Lifestyle decisions that affect climate change

MANy of us might look at climate change as too big of a problem for one person’s efforts to make a difference in fighting it. What we don’t realize is that the little things we do on a daily basis have a big impact on the environment.

Every day, we consume food, we buy things and we throw away trash as a result of this never-ending cycle of consumption. As a result, we produce tons and tons of garbage that are sent to landfills. Trash in landfills produces methane, which is a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.

Below is the list of everyday activities that seem mundane but actually generate huge volume of garbage:

n Too much food production. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, one-third of food produced yearly is wasted. The unconsumed or excess food adds to carbon emissions that harm the environment. Avoid wastage by getting only the food that you can consume.

n Too many clothes. The fast-changing fashion landscape comes at a huge cost to the environment, as it contributes to water pollution, toxic chemical use and textile waste. To help Mother Nature, reuse old clothes and practice smart shopping for new clothes. Buy clothes that will not go out of fashion and/or those that can be styled in different ways.

n Use of disposable products. Disposable items lead to more waste. While they make life more convenient, they also cause pollution and resource depletion. Paper cups, plastic water bottles, disposable cutlery, plastic bags and food packaging are harmful to the environment. Avoid using them and use instead portable tea mugs, tumblers, reusable cutlery, eco bags and airtight containers that you can use again and again.

n Use of electronics. E-waste or e-scrap is waste from electronic and electrical devices like DVD and music players, televisions, telephones, computers, vacuum cleaners and similar things. Some e-waste (like TV) contains lead, mercury, cadmiumandbrominatesflameretardantsthat are harmful to humans and the environment. Proper disposal of such waste is very important.

In a developing country like the Philippines, the garbage problem is worse because of rapid urbanization, economic growth and development, and changes in lifestyle and consumption patterns. Major cities in the country, particularly Metro Manila, face massive solid waste management problems due to lack of landfills, overflowing dumps and improper disposal of garbage on streets, in canals and rivers.

An effective solution to the mounting garbage problem is the use of incinerators that use the innovative technology called pyrolysis, which breaks down large molecules of waste such as agricultural residues, scraps, tires and nonrecyclable materials into smaller molecules of gas, oil and carbon black. The common byproduct of pyrolysis technology is ash, which can be mixed with aggregates for construction purposes. This type of technology has no harmful smoke, no smell nor loud noises. If integrated with solid waste management, incinerators can reduce carbon emission from waste transfer, reduce cost of solid waste disposal and promote zero-waste-to-landfill.

But while solutions like incinerators can effectively minimize the volume of garbage, it cannot be denied that addressing the problem from the source is the more urgent and imperative course of action to fight climate change. It’s high time we each did our share: simplify our lifestyles, substantially reduce our consumption and minimize the waste that we generate every single day.